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Bo Hi Pak
Bo Hi Pak (August 18, 1930 – January 12, 2019 in Korea. Korean: 박보희/朴普熙) was a prominent member of the Unification Church. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was a major leader in the church movement, leading projects such as newspapers (notably the Washington Times), schools, performing arts projects, political projects such as the anti-communist organization CAUSA International, and was president of the Unification Church International 1977–1991. He was also the president of Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea.Korean War vets thanked by Little Angels in Norfolk, Virginian-Pilot, June 8, 2010 Early life Pak was a lieutenant colonel in the South Korean military when he joined the Unification Church in the 1950s. Serving church founder Sun Myung Moon as his main English interpreter during speaking tours in the United States, he was referred to in the media as Moon's "right-hand man""Moon and his ballet stars", by Robert Black, The Telegraph, October 26, 2000. (or similarly), such as "Moon's top deputy"."Church Spends Millions On Its Image" by Michael Isikoff, Washington Post, September 17, 1984; Page A01. He was the central figure in Moon's publishing businesses, including founding President and Publisher, the News World (later renamed New York City Tribune); founding President and Chairman of the Board, the Washington Times Corporation; and President, World Media Association.Appendix B: Brief Chronology of the Life of Dr. Bo Hi Pak, in Messiah: My Testimony to Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Vol I by Bo Hi Pak (2000), Lanham, MD: University Press of America. *1973 Principal, the Little Angels Arts School, Seoul, Korea. *1974 Principal evangelist and director general of the Sun Myung Moon Christian Crusade. *1976-1988 Chairman, Sun-Hwa Educational Foundation, Seoul, Korea. *1976-1990 President and publisher, the News World daily newspaper in New York City (later renamed New York City Tribune). *1977-1991 President, Unification Church International. *1977-Present Member of the Board, Unification Church International. *1978-1995 President, World Media Association. *1980-1992 President and Publisher. Noticias Del Muudo, New York Spanish-language daily newspaper. *1981-Present President, CAUSA International. *1982-1992 President, the Washington Times Corporation. (The Washington Times daily newspaper and Insight on the News weekly magazine, and World & I monthly academic journal *1982-1997 Chairman of the Board, the Washington Times Corporation. *1983-1997 Chairman, Association for the Unity of Latin America. *1986-Present President, Universal Ballet Foundation, corporate sponsors of the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. *1987-1997 President, Summit Council for World Peace. *1990-Present Chairman of the hoard and chief executive officer, Panda Motors Corporation in the United States, Hong Kong, and China. *1991-1994 President and publisher, Seyge Ilbo daily newspaper, Seoul, Korea. In 1977/1978, Pak testified before the Fraser Committee in its investigation of the Unification Church, commenting: "I am a proud Korean – a proud Moonie – and a dedicated anti-Communist and I intend to remain so the rest of my life."Inquisition: The Persecution and Prosecution of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, by Carlton Sherwood, 1991, Regnery Gateway, page 558, In response to the adversarial investigation, Pak wrote Truth is My Sword. Alexander Haig commented in the introduction: "From the battlefield of the Korean peninsula to the halls of the U.S. Congress, Dr. Pak's speeches mirror the convictions of an individual whose ardent sense of justice has always been the cornerstone of his advocacy of personal freedom and democracy."[http://www.tparents.org/library/unification/books/tims1/Tims1-00-d.htm Introduction, Truth Is My Sword Volume I: Collected Speeches in the Public Arena by Bo Hi Pak] In 1984 Pak was kidnapped in New York City and held for ransom. The FBI arrested the kidnappers, who claimed that the crime was an attempt to change Unification Church policy.Crime: Kidnaping of a Moonie, Time, December 10, 1984 In 1987 at a church gathering, a Zimbabwean Unification Church member who was thought by Moon to be the continuous "channel" on earth for his deceased son Heung Jin Moon, "beat Bo Hi Pak so badly that he was hospitalized for a week in Georgetown Hospital."Hong, Nansook. (1998). ''In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family. Little, Brown. ( ) The Washington Post reported that "Later, Pak underwent surgery in South Korea to repair a blood vessel in his skull, according to Times executives."Theological Uproar in Unification Church; Rev. Moon Recognizes Zimbabwean as His Reincarnated Son, by Michael Isikoff, Washington Post staff writer, Washington Post, 30 March 1988. Accessed Saturday, August 19, 2006. In 1994, Pak visited North Korea to attend the funeral of President Kim Il Sung, risking legal trouble by the South Korean government in doing so. In 1998 he visited again, leading a trade delegation representing Unification Church interests with the blessing of the South Korean government.Reverend Moon's Group Wants to Talk Investment: Seoul Nods At Church's Foray North Kirk, Don International Herald Tribune 1999-06-02] On July 20, 2004 the Eastern Seoul District Prosecutor imprisoned Dr. Pak and charged him with financial fraud because he was unable to repay his debts to Korean businessmen.case background In 2006, Pak was released on probation after serving 2 years and 3 ½ months. On November 6, 2006, he sent a letter to be distributed by Unification Church publications worldwide to give an account of his experiences in prison. In the letter he wrote: See also * Unification Church political activities * Koreagate * Subcommittee on International Organizations of the Committee on International Relations (Fraser Committee) References External links * Book by James Gavin * [http://www.tparents.org/unews/unws0310/book_rev_messiah_2.htm Messiah], a book about Sun Myung Moon by Bo Hi Pak * Open letter to members of the Unification Church by InJin Moon * Letter to Unification Church publications by Bo Hi Pak Category:1930 births Category:2019 deaths Category:South Korean anti-communists Category:South Korean Unificationists Category:South Korean military personnel Category:South Korean prisoners and detainees Category:Prisoners and detainees of South Korea Category:The Washington Times people